Cuetlaxóchitl

The Facebook community Chicano Post recently shared the following information that I found very interesting and helpful. Perhaps you will too.

The cuetlaxóchitl flower is native to Mexico.

This is a sacred flower that was colonized and written-off in history as a “discovery” of Joel Poinsett’s in the 1800s.

Joel Poinsett was a slave owner who promoted white supremacy and slavery in his travels and in his political career. He has also been responsible for the displacement of many Indigenous peoples along the way by forcibly removing them from their native lands.

The Cuetlaxóchime originally had nothing to do with Christianity or Christmas, they were a sacred plant used in ceremonies to celebrate the birth of Huītzilōpōchtli during our winter solstices. They were also used for medicinal and healing purposes to cure sicknesses, aid the flow of breast milk, as well as for dyeing fabrics.

Reverse the harm by calling our xochime [blossom] by its original name, Cuetlaxóchitl, and correcting those around you.

To learn how to pronounce Cuetlaxóchitl, click here.


Related Off-site Links:
Poinsettia: The Christmas Flower and the Racist History Behind La Cuetlaxóchitl – Three Sonorans (Medium, December 23, 2012).
Cuetlaxóchitl, a Gift of Light from Mexico – Maestra Grace (Curanderismo.org, December 8, 2021).
Xōchipilli – The Leveret (July 30, 2020).